Warning Signs in Iraq

Over the past few weeks there have been a series of attacks in Iraq (Mosul truck bombing killing 7 and wounding 30 yesterday, for example) as well as standoff in Fadhil (Sunni dominated neighborhood) between old Sunni Awakening members (US allies/ former US allies?) and US troops and the Iraq (Shii dominated) army. I am not going to jump to any conclusions; maybe this is an isolated event, but the Fadl is still blockaded by the govt troops and Maliki has apparently ordered the arrest of 20 leading Sunnis. (see Juan Cole's blog for great details and McClatchy as usual has a good round up of the violence, for example "5th Bombing this month in Baghdad claims 16 lives" )

I don't know how well any of us can gauge the situation in Iraq but these are not great signs...

Article by Brian Katulis at Center for American Progress website, "Standoff in Central Baghdad: The Surge Bubble Begins to Collapse"
Opening paragraph:
"The standoff between two U.S. “allies” this weekend in the heart of Baghdad is a harbinger of things to come in Iraq. The showdown between Iraq’s central government security forces and members of Sunni militias, known as "Awakenings," had nothing to do with the size of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and almost everything to do with enduring tensions in Iraq—multiple struggles for power between competing Iraqi factions."

This is an article on the front page of the NYTimes today - Militants in Iraq Show New Boldness.